cincinatti-ohio-3-21-00
Title: cincinatti-ohio-3-21-00
Author: Frank "FrankLamanti" Lamantia
Date: Mar 18, 2000
Anyways, I walk in expecting to see the horde of 20 some people like I saw last time. This time around, theres only 15, but oh well. I enter the tournament, buy 3 cards for my light deck, get a Dr. Pepper and sit down and wait for the pairings. Heath notifies me that this tournament will be only 4 games because he and another guy are leaving for Vegas, and they are the only ones who can close the shop down... dhoa. But within 15 minutes of that Heath announces the pairings.
Game 1 vs. Scott Hickey's Yavin Clouds (1414)
Scott is a pretty cool guy. Last tournament I think he got 4th with really inexpensive decks. I think he played Stormtrooper Ralltiir and this same Yavin deck last time... which is always respectable.
Anyways, I flip 2nd turn and start beating him up. Dengar in Punishing One and Bossk in Tooth (with added attrition bait) beat up on 2 Y-Wings in the Clouds. I'm getting him for 5 a turn on Endor and Visage is eating him up. My drains overwhelm him. He puts BoShek in a Cloud Car, and drops Master Luke with him down to the Backdoor and basically I just beat up on him. I was draining for 7 a turn since like the 5th turn and when I took over his Clouds he knew he was in for it. Win by 28.
Highlights: Scott is hilarious. I'm surprised I could play as well as I did. I was laughing so hard all through out the game.
Lowlights: None.
So anyways, after the game Johnny Crawford pulls me outside and basically tells me that I will probably be playing Matt Scott, the dude that wins most of the tournaments here. He basically tells me to watch myself against him, and that he is a good player. Well hey I was going to do that anyway.
Game 2 vs. Matt Scott's Ralltiir Ops (1838)
I remember reading something about how this deck will only beat Ralltiir Ops half the time. This makes me a bit nervous, but hes pretty nervous too. Anyways, he drops 2 sites to Ralltiir first turn. On my turn I activate 5, drop CC: Carbo Chamber with Melas there and say its his turn. He draws some more. On my turn, I activate and without thinking I go deck-diving for a system. I drop Corulag and I look over to see Melas there all alone. The words 'Hey dip****, you forgot to drain' go through my head. Oh well, I drop Alderaan that I drew last turn and draw 4. His turn he flips ROps with Commander Ardan, Mara Jade (he searches for her saber but it isnt in the deck) and Admiral Motti at 3 different sites. Then he moves Ardan over to Motti's site and its my turn. Drain for one, deploy Bacta Tack and draw 3 more. I'm holding 2 Rebel Barriers in my hand so I'm not really fearing beatdown this turn. He fortifies his 2 Ralltiir sites with J'Quille at Motti's site and Ozzel at Maras. On my turn I use 18 to drop EPP Luke, Obi-Wan and Wedge to Motti's site. Clash on Ardan. Move J'Quille away. Hit Motti and play Gift of the Mentor, I forget what I drew but he lost like 15 force for that battle. All he can do is drain on Ralltiir now. I get set up at Tibrin and lay down Capn Han+Leia+Falcon at Tatooine and start retrieving like 10 a turn with Our Most Desperate Hour. When he drops Bossk in Tooth and battles (to try to kill the Falcon), I play Punch It and basically whip him. Drop Legendary Starfighter. Even though I'm only draining for 1 a turn, hes taking 3 a turn in damage, which is huge. After that battle, I flip. He has about 12 left and I can take out any ships he has. He drains as much as he can (I have Battle Plan out and I'm cancelling one drain with Hidden Base). But in the end, I've retrieved my entire lost pile, he has 1 card left and he can't drain (Battle Plan). Legendary Starfighter gets him for 2, giving me the win. Full win +31.
Total: 4 (59)
Highlights: Winning. Using Legendary Starfighter.
Lowlights: None.
So anyways, I beat this dude that was pretty much unstoppable the last couple tournaments and I'm on Cloud Nine. I go out and talk to my dad (who has to sit there in his car for the duration of the tournament) and go back in. I sit around and talk tech with Brian Scott and then Heath announces 3rd game pairings.
Game 4 vs. Brian Scott's Nudj Revo borrowed from Heath (1509)
Well hey, wouldn't you know it, I get to play the same dude I just got done talking tech with.
The tournament before this, Heath played this deck against me and I pretty much spanked it. I plan to do the same thing now. He Revolves my Meditation Chamber first turn. It doesn't really matter because I get Endor and Endor: Backdoor in my opening hand. Drop those and draws. Next turn he plays the Signal to get another Revolution and plays it on the Holotheatre. I just draw some more during my turn, getting ready to drop Vader and start whipping up. He cancels Visage with Luke to the Holotheatre that next turn and played a Grimtaash. This deck has like 3 doubles in it, and he doesn't get anything. I start deploying and draining. I played this same Revo deck for a good while, and I know how to beat it. I kill his Nudjs, drop more locations and drain in space (all Revo decks are short on ships, and when Han is on the ground doing his thing, you don't have much of a chance in space). So space is like free draining territory for me. That takes him out, he wasn't playing any Nabruns and he didn't have many characters. Han got Trampled, Leia went down to attrition, and Obi got beat up on by like 10 cards. Full win by 24.
Total: 6 (83)
Highlights: Beating a Revo deck without Evaders, Alters, Imperial Decree or other wise cancelling/suspending Revo. That and laying the smack down on a Palace dude.
Lowlights: None.
So right now I'm pretty confident that I've won the tournament (or atleast am in the top 3). I'm one of 2 undefeateds and the other one is playing. So I go over there and watch him play. He's the same side as I was so we can't play each other next game. I get there just in time to see him duel Obi and the kid lose 9... that was game.
I'm beating the 2nd place guy by like 30 differential so as long as I win, I've pretty much won this tournament.
Game 6 vs. Brian Scott's HDADTJ Dueling (1509)
Hey I get to play this dude again. He starts Secret Plans (crap). I cancel Visage with Transmission Terminated 2nd turn. He loses it and plays Masterful Move to get another from his reserve deck. I track around my other Transmission Terminated and play it. He plays Holonet Transmission and cancels it. arg. That same turn I drop Tantive 4, Wedge in Gold Leader at Tibrin. Next turn I lose 3 from my hand to play Transmission Terminated (again). I cancel Visage one more time and then he tells me he doesn't have anymore in here. Thank god. I lost like 15 cards already trying to cancel it. His next turn he pops out Bossk in Hounds Tooth to Tibrin and I Rebel Barrier it. He moves Vader to the Meditation Chamber and now has 2 destiny there. I drop Melas and BoShek to the Tantive and battle. He draws a 5 and a 0, I draw a 3 so he loses Bossks and I lose Wedge to the Tank. Drop Legendary Starfighter. He takes 1 every turn for the rest of the game. I set up the super Falcon and save up a turn and then complete OMDH. Hes not giving me any damage but I lost Kessel way early in the game so I can't flip. He drops the Imperial Holotable and I blow it up with Transmission Terminated :) hehehe. Basically, I win this game without deploying anybody to a site or even flipping Hidden Base. Good deal. I just let my drains of 3 each turn and Legendary Fighter to eat him up. Full win +29.
Final: 8 (112)
Highlights: Winning the game without deploying anybody to a site or even flipping Hidden Base
Lowlights: Beating the kid twice.
After this game Heath tells me William has to win by 62 cards to tie me. So, needless to say, I win. Sweet. I get C3P0 EJP pack and 2 packs of Unlimited Premiere. I give my Premiere away (Because like I said, I'd rather be poked in the eye with a sharp stick than open more of that).